More Problems...

[jim417mx]

Well lets just say having a saltwater tank is harder then it looks. I had my tank cycling for about a month with a blue and a domino damsel and everything was fine, water was perfect and the ammonia was a little high (due to well water i think) I put a butterfly in there from ***** and he lasted about 2 weeks then started getting discolored and died. About 2-3 days later I noticed my water getting cloudy, I changed my filters thinking that would help, but the next day it got worse , and the food on the bottom started turning brown. I tested the ammonia again and its WAY off the charts. I dont know what to do, should I start my tank over completely or is there anything I can do to save it? By the way my domino and blue tailed damosel is still alive, as well as the starfish, but they are all acting sick. I guess you can call this a first-timer saltwater hobbiest tank gone bad.

 

[cannonman]

Wouldn't even know where to start, need information, tank size, type, filtration, LR, LS,

 

[jim417mx]

Sorry its 55 gallon with a whisper filter, no live rock or sand , just normal crushed coral for the bottom. I really dont know much about my water, the guy at the fish store tested it and said the nitrates, nitrites, and everything was good, he said just the ammonia was high. Could I possibly be going through an ammonia spike?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Jim417mx
Sorry its 55 gallon with a whisper filter, no live rock or sand , just normal crushed coral for the bottom. I really dont know much about my water, the guy at the fish store tested it and said the nitrates, nitrites, and everything was good, he said just the ammonia was high. Could I possibly be going through an ammonia spike?
You could be going through an ammonia spike, but if you havn't gotten nitrites yet then your tank wasn't done cycling when you added the butterfly. Butterfly's are very sensitive to even trace ammonia. I suggest you don't add ANYTHING else and start doing some water changes with premixed(for at least 24 hrs) water. Most new hobbiest make the mistake of going too fast. You should also set up a quarentine tank to save you alot of hassel in the long run. Trust me, it is much cheaper than having to treat your tank. You should also get LR (you will not believe the difference) And start thinking about a protein skimmer. Welcome to the boards!!! You will get alot of advice here. I urge you to post what your plans for new fish are once your tank finishes cycling and we can steer you in the right direction before things happen.

 

[lion_crazz]

There is a plethora of mistakes that you are being plagued with. I will help break them down for you so that you can put yourself on a better path with the tank.
The first was to add a butterfly to a brand-new tank that has no live rock in it. You are not going to be able to keep any tangs, angels, or butterflies in a tank without live rock (especially new tanks).
Next, I would strongly recommend that you just let the tank be for a few more weeks at least and pick up your own test kit. Your tank is probably not even cycled yet.
If there is food on the bottom of your tank, you are feeding your fish incredibly too much.
At this point, do not do anything to your tank except go out and buy yourself a test kit so that you know the exact levels of your water. You need an ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, and kH test kit. I would also strongly recommend adding a protein skimmer. Brands I would consider for your tank are Excalibur, Coralife, or AquaC Remora.
The hardest thing about a saltwater tank is having patience. Once you conquer that, you and your tank will be just fine.

 

[jim417mx]

Honestly, do you guys think it would be better if I started the tank over and washed everything? Now I know what I did wrong, And this time I will actually have patience and not move too fast because thats what I did.

 

[bracebldrs]

keep it going ,but maybe take starfish and damsal back for credit toward
test kit or something.work on getting live sand or live cc to start .and
live rock .right now cleaning your filter to much can throw you tank in to cycle.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by bracebldrs
keep it going ,but maybe take starfish and damsal back for credit toward
test kit or something.work on getting live sand or live cc to start .and
live rock .right now cleaning your filter to much can throw you tank in to cycle.
I agree, I would not tear down the tank. Just work on fixing the issues at hand.

 

[jim417mx]

Well the lfs said do a 50% water change so I did one and the water is alot clearer, and the ammonia level went down drastically. With this in mind, should I just put the damsel back in there and let it cycle until the water tests ok?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Jim417mx
Well the lfs said do a 50% water change so I did one and the water is alot clearer, and the ammonia level went down drastically. With this in mind, should I just put the damsel back in there and let it cycle until the water tests ok?
Please do NOT cycle your tank with fish. Do the right thing and buy live rock. There are no shortcuts in this hobby. Obviously your lfs has steered you wrong thus far. Did you buy your OWN test kit yet. You may think that we are just saying stuff, but all of the advice from fellow members comes from experience. We have all been there, we have all made mistakes. Do not add ANY new fish!!!!!!!

 

[jim417mx]

I bought an ammonia test kit, I have not had the money for a full test kit yet but will pick one up this week. How much live rock should I get because I cant afford alot. After everything that has happened so far, how long do you guys think it will be before I'm back in the game?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Jim417mx
I bought an ammonia test kit, I have not had the money for a full test kit yet but will pick one up this week. How much live rock should I get because I cant afford alot. After everything that has happened so far, how long do you guys think it will be before I'm back in the game?
THE most expensive part of this hobby is the rock. You can also buy base rock at like $2 a lb. And mix it with your LR. This can be an expensive hobby at first. Once your tank is established, the only cost you have is your addiction! You SERIOUSLY need your own test kit. What's your ammonia reading today?

 

[jim417mx]

Ammonia reading today is about 0.4. Before the water change it was well above 6.0

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Jim417mx
Ammonia reading today is about 0.4. Before the water change it was well above 6.0

Keep an eye on it and keep doing water changes. 0.4 is still high. Your nitrite will spike over the next few weeks. That needs to be closely monitored as well.

 

[jim417mx]

Bought a test kit today ...
Nitrates:about 10
Nitrites:0
alkalinity : 300+
ph: 8.4
Ammonia: About 3.0
Salinity: 30
Specific Gravity: 1.022
Hopefully you guys can steer me in the right direction now that I have everything tested. Once again it is a 55 gallon, I had it set up and cycling for about 5 weeks like your supose to, then my butterfly was not eating and he slowly died, after that the ammonia got super high and everything died so I did a water change and vaccumed the bottom of the tank and this is where I stand now. I have nothing in the tank right now, no fish, no live rock. The LFS told me I can stick a damsel or something in there but I figure I would get your opinions on what to do first. I really woudl rather cycle the tank with a $5 damsel then have to go buy live rock...

 

[garnet13aj]

You need live rock in your tank anyway to have a healthy tank. Your tank is already cycling if the ammonia has spiked. Using fish to cycle is not nice to the fish, even if they survive. It's the equivalent of putting a puppy in a room full of poison and waiting for it to dissapate. It's going to be a while before you can add anything else to your tank. Stop thinking about the cost and start thinking about the long term health of your tank. It might be a good idea for you to read a book while your waiting for your tank to cycle. A few good ones are The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta and The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner.
I'm currently starting my first tank right now, also a 55 and although I know it's hard to wait, the slower you go, the less mistakes you'll make.
Research every purchase before you buy, I've already made that mistake a number of times and I'm taking it a lot slower than most.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by garnet13aj
You need live rock in your tank anyway to have a healthy tank. Your tank is already cycling if the ammonia has spiked. Using fish to cycle is not nice to the fish, even if they survive. It's the equivalent of putting a puppy in a room full of poison and waiting for it to dissapate. It's going to be a while before you can add anything else to your tank. Stop thinking about the cost and start thinking about the long term health of your tank. It might be a good idea for you to read a book while your waiting for your tank to cycle. A few good ones are The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta and The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner.
I'm currently starting my first tank right now, also a 55 and although I know it's hard to wait, the slower you go, the less mistakes you'll make.
Research every purchase before you buy, I've already made that mistake a number of times and I'm taking it a lot slower than most.
I completely agree with everything stated here.

 

[jim417mx]

Alright well thanks guys, the tank seems to be going back under controllable levels and I purchased some live rock today so I hope that helps. Once again ,- thanks

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Jim417mx
Alright well thanks guys, the tank seems to be going back under controllable levels and I purchased some live rock today so I hope that helps. Once again ,- thanks

Was the rock cured? I do hope you put it into a separate container filled with saltwater before adding it to your display. What are your exact water readings as of now?

 

[jim417mx]

Yea the rock was put into seperate saltwater before I put it in. But now my readings have changed to. Let me tell you straight up - I'm about to give up on this whole saltwater thing... I cant get it right, and when it seems that I have, something else measures wrong.
Nitrates: went up 10... at about 20 now - time for 20% water change ?
Nitrites: about 0.75 - 1.0
alkalinity : 300+
Hardness: 425
ph: 8.4
Ammonia: About 3.0 still but goin down slowly
Salinity: 30
Specific Gravity: 1.022